diff --git a/integration-tests/src/test/scala/play/api/libs/ws/ahc/AhcWSClientSpec.scala b/integration-tests/src/test/scala/play/api/libs/ws/ahc/AhcWSClientSpec.scala
index 9e7cbf5c..e4359d23 100644
--- a/integration-tests/src/test/scala/play/api/libs/ws/ahc/AhcWSClientSpec.scala
+++ b/integration-tests/src/test/scala/play/api/libs/ws/ahc/AhcWSClientSpec.scala
@@ -44,13 +44,13 @@ class AhcWSClientSpec(implicit val executionEnv: ExecutionEnv) extends Specifica
   "url" should {
     "throw an exception on invalid url" in {
       withClient() { client =>
-        { client.url("localhost") } must throwA[Throwable]
+        { client.url("localhost") } must throwAn[IllegalArgumentException]
       }
     }
 
     "not throw exception on valid url" in {
       withClient() { client =>
-        { client.url(s"http://localhost:$testServerPort") } must not(throwA[Throwable])
+        { client.url(s"http://localhost:$testServerPort") } must not(throwAn[IllegalArgumentException])
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/play-ahc-ws-standalone/src/main/scala/play/api/libs/ws/ahc/StandaloneAhcWSClient.scala b/play-ahc-ws-standalone/src/main/scala/play/api/libs/ws/ahc/StandaloneAhcWSClient.scala
index 546e6add..741861b3 100644
--- a/play-ahc-ws-standalone/src/main/scala/play/api/libs/ws/ahc/StandaloneAhcWSClient.scala
+++ b/play-ahc-ws-standalone/src/main/scala/play/api/libs/ws/ahc/StandaloneAhcWSClient.scala
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import play.shaded.ahc.org.asynchttpclient.{ Response => AHCResponse, _ }
 import scala.collection.immutable.TreeMap
 import scala.compat.java8.FunctionConverters
 import scala.concurrent.{ Await, Future, Promise }
-import scala.util.{ Failure, Success, Try }
 
 /**
  * A WS client backed by an AsyncHttpClient.
@@ -78,10 +77,14 @@ class StandaloneAhcWSClient @Inject() (asyncHttpClient: AsyncHttpClient)(implici
 
   private def validate(url: String): Unit = {
     // Recover from https://github.com/AsyncHttpClient/async-http-client/issues/1149
-    Try(Uri.create(url)).transform(Success(_), {
+    try {
+      Uri.create(url)
+    } catch {
+      case iae: IllegalArgumentException =>
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"Invalid URL $url", iae)
       case npe: NullPointerException =>
-        Failure(new IllegalArgumentException(s"Invalid URL $url", npe))
-    }).get
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"Invalid URL $url", npe)
+    }
   }
 
   private[ahc] def executeStream(request: Request): Future[StreamedResponse] = {